A decision to scale back Victorian government advertising in the print editions of The Age and Herald Sun isn’t politically motivated, Premier Daniel Andrews says.

From July 1, all Victorian public sector print advertising in the major metropolitan newspapers will cease other than those required under the law.

Regional newspapers will be unaffected.

The Andrews government is shifting its advertising spending towards online and television media amid the decline of hard-copy newspapers.

“That’s where the audience is, that’s where the return on investment for taxpayers is,” Mr Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.

The decision was not based on The Age and Herald Sun holding the Andrews government to account through its critical reporting, he insisted.

Both Melbourne mastheads will still be approached to publish state government ads on their online websites.

Mr Andrews said his government intends to return its advertising spending closer to pre-pandemic levels, as the need for public health messages and other vital information eases.

– AAP